Homemade Almond Milk Recipe

Making almond milk is a great way to get the most nutrients out of your almonds. Not to mention, it's a lot cheaper than store-bought almond milk. 

Making you own dairy-free milk also reduces plastic consumption and waste production, meaning you're helping the environment. Dairy-free milks are also more environmentally friendly as they use less resources to produce than dairy milks.

Plus, a lot of store-bought almond milks are packaged in plastic, which is something you can easily avoid by making it yourself. And did you know you can make other types of milk at home, too? You can make rice, hemp, soy, and even oat milk!

When making any type of milk at home, make sure you use only certified organic or non-GMO for the best nutritional benefits. I use organic whole almonds for this homemade almond milk recipe because they're the most nutritious way to make it.

Almonds are a great source of protein, vitamin E, and magnesium. Almond milk is also a good source of antioxidants, which are important for overall health. You can use them to make flour or nut butter as well. Almond milk also has fewer calories and less sugar than cow's milk, making it a healthy alternative.

So for all these reasons and more, it's great to make your own almond milk!

Why make your own almond milk? 

• Nutrition: Homemade almond milk is much higher in nutrition than store-bought almond milk. This is because it doesn't go through the same process as store-bought almond milk, which involves pasteurisation and homogenisation. Both of these processes can remove vital nutrients and antioxidants.
  
• Cost: Homemade almond milk is much cheaper than store-bought almond milk. That's because of the cost of buying almonds and the recipe itself.
• Taste: Homemade almond milk tastes a lot better than store-bought almond milk. Because it doesn't go through the same type of processing that store-bought almond milk does, it maintains all of the natural nutrients and minerals in almonds.
• It's not Cows Milk: Almond milk is a better option than cow's milk, which can is high in saturated fat, cholesterol, hormones, antibiotics, as well as the pain and suffering dairy cows and their babies go through for cows milk to be produced.

Many studies have linked drinking cows milk to increased cancer, heart disease, and diabetes risk. Cows milk is also high in antibiotics which increases antibiotic resistance, and it also contains hormones up to 15 female sex hormones which can affect the dedicate balance of human endocrine system. A report by The Food Commission links these hormones to acne, obesity, allergies and cardiovascular disease.

The good news is that almond milk is low in fat and calories, with no cholesterol or lactose. Plus, since it's not homogenized, it keeps its creamy texture and contains a healthy amount of protein, you can also easily increase the protein by adding 1 tbsp of hemp seeds to your almond milk. 

Comparing store-bought almond milk to homemade almond milk: 

Store-bought almond milk usually contains around 60 calories per cup (240 ml). Homemade almond milk without any additional add ins, on the other hand, contains only 25 calories per cup (120 ml). 

This makes one cup of homemade almond milk equivalent to drinking two cups of store-bought almond milk. Store-bought almond milk also contains more added sugars than homemade almond milk. Homemade almond milk, on the other hand, is a good source of fiber and healthy fats.

If you're looking for a delicious and nutritious milk alternative, homemade almond milk is the way to go!

How to make almond milk

Making your own almond milk is super easy, too. All you need is a blender or a food processor and some almonds. That's it! Blend for about two minutes, and the almonds will become smooth creamy milk. It's that simple!

To make almond milk, you will need almonds, water, and a blender. You will also need some cheesecloth or a nut milk bag to filter the pulp that comes out of the blender. Once you have all of your ingredients ready, you can start making your almond milk.

To start, soak your almonds in water overnight. This will help to soften the almonds and make them easier to blend. Next, rinse and drain the almonds and rinse them again, and this will reduce the bitterness of the almonds. 

Then, transfer the almonds to a blender and add water. Blend the almonds until they form a smooth mixture. Your mixture should resemble the consistency of yogurt or pudding. 

Now it is time to strain the mixture. 

Using a nut milk bag or cheesecloth, pour the mixture into the bag/cloth and squeeze all the liquid out of the mixture. Repeat until all of the liquid has been strained from the mixture. The leftover pulp can be used to make almond flour!

Once the almond milk has been strained, it is ready to store. You can store it in a container in the fridge, or you can use it right away. When it's time to use it, simply shake the container before pouring it into a glass, on your cereal, a smoothie, or in your hot beverage.

Homemade Almond Milk Recipe